


I Never Knew Just What It Was About This Old Coffee Shop

by crazycanadian



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hockey player Tom Wilson, M/M, Starbucks barista Michael Latta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 20:11:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4450601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazycanadian/pseuds/crazycanadian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I started this fic a long time ago, and forgot all about it until I found my written copy and decided to rewrite it and take it some where a little different. Started of as an annoying neighbour AU, quickly turned into a Starbucks barista AU. </p><p>Thanks to   steve-otters  on Tumblr for being my beta. :) It means a lot to have a second set of eyes go over my work!</p><p>Title from Landon Pigg's 'Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop'.</p><p>Hope you enjoy it! :)</p>
    </blockquote>





	I Never Knew Just What It Was About This Old Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:**

> So I started this fic a long time ago, and forgot all about it until I found my written copy and decided to rewrite it and take it some where a little different. Started of as an annoying neighbour AU, quickly turned into a Starbucks barista AU. 
> 
> Thanks to steve-otters on Tumblr for being my beta. :) It means a lot to have a second set of eyes go over my work!
> 
> Title from Landon Pigg's 'Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop'.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! :)

Waking up to an insistent hammering at 3am, wasn’t exactly pleasant. Especially not with Mike’s early shift soon. His boss had given him his first early shift today, and opening up the busiest Starbucks in downtown Washington really wasn’t his idea of a good start to his day. 

Whoever was making all that racket had a better idea for how Mike should spend his next peaceful hours before work. The sound continued on until Mike was certain he couldn’t be the only one annoyed by this. 

Mike slipped out of bed, threw a t-shirt on and went to confront the person behind all this noise. Padding out into the hall he noticed his new neighbors door was wide open, a stack of moving boxes propping open the door. The noise was louder than ever, Mike practically had to scream to get the new guys attention when he stepped inside the apartment. 

“Hey! Hello?!” 

It was useless; the guy couldn’t hear his yelling over his… hammering. The guy was seriously putting together a TV stand at 3 in the morning. The guy was crouched in front of a half built Ikea TV unit. He was also shirtless, and Mike watched as his back muscles strained with every hit of the hammer. 

Mike shook his head, he needed the guy to shut up, not mesmerize him with his toned muscles, and luscious brown hair, and gorgeous face. Wait..

“Hello?” 

This was going to be awkward, and where had Mike seen that face before?

“Oh, hey. I was trying to get your attention but your super loud hammering was sort of drowning out my voice.” 

“Okay, hey. Was there something you needed?” 

Mike rolled his eyes, of course this guy was oblivious to the fact that he was probably waking up half the apartment’s residents. 

“Could you maybe not build a fucking TV unit at 3am? Some people need to sleep and can’t with all the noise you’re creating. Maybe close your front door next time.”

The guy was eyeing Mike now, an eyebrow raised. 

“Sorry, didn’t know it was such a bother. I guess I could wait till, what 4am? That good enough for you?” 

Of course this guy would give Mike a hard time. What a jerk. 

“You should probably wait longer unless you want a public disturbance call to your apartment. Thanks for your cooperation though.” 

Before Mike stormed out completely he shoved the boxes further into the guy’s house and slammed the door shut. 

Mike climbed into bed after shedding his t-shirt. He tossed and turned for what felt like hours but he couldn’t sleep even though there wasn’t any more noise. He couldn’t stop thinking about that guy and why he looked so damn familiar.  
______________

Opening the Starbucks on 7th was pretty simple, unlock the doors. Turn on lights. Set tables, and organize chairs. Get all the machines running and filled before opening. Mike had run through setup over and over again. He was going to be ready for the first customer that walked in that door. And he only had to wait half an hour for the other staff to come in. He was not expected to work alone, none of the staff were. 

Turns out Mike’s coworker Jaz was running early today and turned up right as the first couple people walked in. He instantly calmed down knowing Jaz had his back. 

“Take cash, I’ll start whippin’ up the drinks Mikey!” 

Mike laughed, she was way too preppy for 5:30 in the morning.  
______________

 

Mike actually preferred the early shift, it made him feel good to be up early. Even if he hated it at first but after getting his coffee in his system, he was good to go. 

That was until he saw that dumb familiar face, that he couldn’t place a name too. 

Neither Mike or the guy were happy to see each other, clearly. Mike could feel Jaz eyeing him. 

“Good morning. What can I get you today?” 

“Can I get 3 grande regular coffees, and one venti iced coffee with milk. Thanks.” 

“Alright, can I get a name for the order?”

Mike was practically programmed to say the same thing to every customer but he realized as he spoke he would finally get the guy’s name, and probably remember why the hell he looked so familiar. 

“Tom.”

Hmm, Tom. 

“That’ll be $13.30.”

Tom made his way to the pickup spot, but not before Mike got a glimpse of Tom’s hoodie. Was that a Washington Capitals logo? 

Mike sure as hell didn’t watch Tom leave, and even if he did his gaze absolutely did not travel to Tom’s toned ass. It didn’t happen.  
______________

Tom Wilson! Tom Wilson was Mike’s new neighbor. He should have realized with how fit the guy was, muscles here and there. Don’t even get him started on that ass.  
How was he so dumb to not realize that it was Wilson? The Caps had just signed him for the new season. Drafted him early and clearly saw a lot of potential in the kid to sign him for a couple years. 

“Alright, spill.” 

Mike laughed, of course. 

Jaz and him were currently tucked into a back booth at the closest restaurant to the Starbs. He quickly filled her in on the details.

“He’s my new neighbor who decided it was a good idea to start building his furniture at 3am this morning. So I gave him a piece of my mind and we got slightly pissed at each other. He’s a jerk. Who also just got signed to the Washington Capitals. Tom Wilson. What a jerk. ”

Jaz smirked, “Yeah a hot jerk, who plays hockey! Just your type.” 

“Excuse you? No way.”

“Yes way, I’ve heard enough about Tyler and Drew to know that’s your type.” 

She was right, he couldn’t even deny that one. But this time it had to be different.

Jaz was right, and Mike was a lost cause already.  
______________

After watching TSN for too long, Mike couldn’t help himself when he googled Tom Wilson. It was curiosity, that’s all! As Mike watched footage on Tom’s hockey skills, he couldn’t help but be impressed. No wonder the Caps wanted him. Not that Mike wanted him or anything.

He slammed his laptop closed. No way did he want Tom Wilson, jerk. Hot jerk. Hot hockey playing jerk. Nope.

Mike was starting to realize that Tom was becoming a regular at his Starbucks. Everyone knew his order, and always greeted him when he came in. Mike knew this Starbucks was the closest to Verizon Center but did Tom really need Starbucks every time he was working. Actually Tom could have been coming in when he didn’t work but he wasn’t asking around or anything. 

After watching Tom’s ass – Tom – leave, Mike joined Jaz at the sink. 

“Hey, does he come in when I’m not working?”

Jaz eyed him, “He?”

“He.” Jaz wasn’t cluing in, “Tom!” he hissed

Jaz smirked, because of course she would. Nothing was going on, he was just curious. 

“Sometimes, it’s not like he knows your schedule.”

Mike couldn’t help but falter a bit. 

“But he never seems as smiley.”

Mike perked up, that was a good thing, right?

______________

Maybe the first thing Mike should do is apologize to Tom. He should have done it long ago for being a jerk to his new neighbor. It had been about 2 weeks since… that happened.  
Mike was just finishing a late shift, getting home at the crack of dawn wasn’t really his best time but he couldn’t leave this off any longer. He knew the Capitals had a couple road games coming up and he wasn’t sure when he’d see Tom next. 

He braced himself for what was surely an awkward conversation. 

Tom opened the door with a yawn, rubbing at his eye with his huge hands. 

“Hi.”

Tom finally recognized who was at his door, his eyes focusing into slivers, glaring. 

“Okay, so I brought you a piece offering and my apologies.”

Mike quickly handed Tom the venti iced coffee with milk, and extra shot of espresso that he had been thinking would be a good idea if he woke Tom up. Which he seems to have done. 

Tom took a sip, he seemed satisfied.

“Sorry, for waking you? I just wanted to come now and apologize about when we first met. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be here since you have away games soon so I thought I’d stop by. Sorry I was an asshole about you putting together your TV stand at 3am. I was just trying to sleep and I had a very important day that I was stressed about. I needed sleep and I didn’t really get any but its okay. So, yeah. I’m sorry… for that. Welcome to Washington?”

Tom sighed, “You know my schedule?” 

Mikes face flushed, “Out of my whole apology all you got is that I know the Washington Capitals game schedule? The hockey team, of the city I live in and that you conveniently play for? Seriously?”

Tom raised an eyebrow, quizzically. 

“Yes, I do. As a matter of fact I have the game schedule on my fridge if you really needed to know.” 

Tom was still staring Mike down. He didn’t look satisfied now. 

“For gods sake Tom! What do you want? I apologized, and I answered your question. What more do you want?”

Tom’s serious demeanor slipped as he cracked a small smile and began to laugh. 

“What now?!”

“Seriously, Mike! You didn’t need to apologize, or bring me a piece offering. As much as I like it. I just wanted you to be nice to me. You know how much time I spent coming to that damn Starbucks when there’s free coffee at the rink?”

Mike flushed, what? Tom couldn’t have gone out of his way for Mike. 

“You were unhappy every time I came in. So I just thought you were generally an unhappy asshole who shit on people he didn’t like. Until Jaz spoke to me on a day you weren’t working. Gave me your schedule and might have hinted that a not so straight guy like you had a thing for hot jerks who played hockey?” 

Mike could feel his face, and his whole body for that matter, heat up. He probably looked like a tomato. 

“Jaz? She did that?”

“C’mon Mike, she was the only one who knew about me. I know that.”

“Well yeah, but your-?”

Tom rolled his eyes, “Get in here you loser.” 

“Hey!”

Tom grabbed Mike’s wrist, dragging him through his front door and closing it behind him. 

“What were you saying about me?”

“I thought you were straight – I mean, you can’t be anything but-“

Mike looked up at Tom’s face as his voice took on a questioning tone, “I can’t?”

And with that Tom leaned forward, Mike noticed exactly how pink Tom’s lips were before they pressed to his with such a fervor he was almost startled. But Mike was no stranger to kissing, his hand found Tom’s face quickly, thumbing the slight stubble on Tom’s cheek. He didn’t miss the feeling of Tom’s hand gently lowering itself to wrap around his waist. 

Breaking apart for a quick breathe of air, Mike faintly mumbled ‘couch’ before Tom’s lips were back on his. Tom’s tongue found its way inside Mikes mouth on a gasp as he was lowered to the couch. 

He didn’t know how long they made out until they both needed a break. Tom breaking free before nudging Mike’s jaw with his nose. He tilted his head slightly so Tom had access to his neck and as he sucked a very visible hickey into the side of Mike’s neck, he couldn’t help but mumble, “Nice, TV stand.” 

 

(the end).

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you liked it :) It would mean a lot if you could leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments so I can build my writing from it. 
> 
> Follow me over on tumblr at habbyhockey 


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